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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. land — ground
  4. lean — to bend
  5. wind — moving air
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. wind — moving air
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. lean — thin
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. land — to come down
  19. mine — for digging
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. plane — a tool
  22. land — a country
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. wave — with your hand

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com